Service Dog for Stirling

This is our son, Stirling. He is the most caring, affectionate, creative 11-year-old you'll ever meet. He loves learning about military events, Pokemon, and the weather. He's an excellent reader and a true friend. Stirling is also Autistic and has a couple of other diagnoses. One is DMDD. This means that Stirling has HUGE feelings and reacts to the world differently than most people. Sometimes, even good things can make Stirling feel scared, angry, or overwhelmed. When that happens, sometimes he says or does things he doesn't mean to. Imagine if you slid on the ice; you might not mean to grab the person next to you and take them down with you! But your brain and your body don't always have time to choose; you react out of fear and instinct. Stirling always feels so sorry afterward. Sometimes he has to make amends or pay consequences for what has happened. He tries really hard to prepare himself for the world and not react this way. He has so many people that love him and help him! Even though he has a great team on his side and he works so hard, Stirling still struggles to stay in the world around him. Getting angry and overwhelmed, lashing out at others, these make it hard to learn at school, keep friends, and show you the person he really is. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO HELP! ADA service animals can help Stirling with these struggles! We know that if Stirling had a service dog working as hard as he is, then Stirling would be able to tap into the tools he's been taught. We met the perfect match! Rikki can help things stay calm, remind Stirling of important routines, keep him safe across the street, create a physical space around him, and lead him away from overwhelming situations to a calm spot. Rikki (the service dog) is about to graduate from school at Ruff Hearts in Washington. He has been trained since he was 8 weeks old and is ready to help Stirling be successful. We know it will be a lot of work and we are hopeful this may be the key for Stirling at school, home, the community, and in his future adulthood. We need a lot of help though. We are asking for those that have the resources, to help raise the money to acquire Rikki and have a successful transition.

$14,000 - cost of Rikki and 2 weeks of trainer stay in Bayfield to train the family and handlers. ($7k deposit due asap)

$6,000 - cost of local trainer to work with family and handler to prepare for Rikki and ensure smooth transition to school and community

$800 - cost of food for the first year

$2,500 - cost of vet bills and insurance for the first year

$500 - cost of equipment (crate, toys, harness, etc.)

$1,200 - other fees for fundraising and unexpected equipment

It's a lot, we know. And we know that Stirling's involvement in our community will give back so much. Please consider helping Stirling show you who he really is!

The Scott Family